


The Zoo

by ninwrites



Series: Mundane Things [4]
Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec Loves Magnus To Much For His Own Good, At the Zoo, Everything I Write Is A Homage To Malec, F/M, Family time, Gen, Jace Gets Excited, M/M, Magnus Loves Hats Too Much For Alec's Good, Max's Birthday, Parents, Set A Year After BTEN, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, sappy romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-27 00:37:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6262504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninwrites/pseuds/ninwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on this prompt: 'sometimes they take little day trips to different places together. like the zoo! they love the zoo. Jace buys one of those dumb hats that make it look like he has elephant ears and he refuses to take it off even when they’re at dinner later.'</p><p> </p><p>Magnus and Alec, along with Jace and Clary, take Max to the zoo for his birthday, as a fun little activity for them all to enjoy. Little did they realise how ... unpredictable Jace's reaction could be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Zoo

**Author's Note:**

> (I adjusted the headcanon a little, but the essence of the plot is still the same.
> 
> no Simon and Isabelle - not because I don't like them, trust me I love them just as much, but because I simply had, forgotten, about them until I got about half-way through, and decided I couldn't be bothered trying to fit them in somehow. It would have been too many people to keep track of.)

The whole idea had been Clary's.

When she'd suggested the idea to Alec, to celebrate Max's birthday in a cute and fun way that the little one could enjoy, he hadn't come up with anything wrong with it.

Neither of them had taken in Jace as a factor, though. Which, between the three of them, they really should have.

* * *

 

"I don't think that outfit is appropriate for children."

Magnus raised his eyebrows in confusion. He gestured to Max, who was clad in dark blue denim jeans and a deep green knit-sweater, before turning to Alec with an expression that suggested he really thought Alec had lost his mind this time.

"I meant yours," Alec explained, pointing to Magnus' bright yellow skin-tight jeans and glaringly obvious rainbow singlet, which he'd paired with a deep red jacket and black shoes.

"We're going to a zoo, Magnus, not a nightclub."

Magnus pouted, and Alec sighed.

"Just, dress it down a little for me today?" He asked. "Please? I'll let you choose my outfit another time if you do this for me?"

Magnus smirked, and Alec closed his eyes, smiling softly. He knew where this would lead, giving Magnus more power than he needed, and over his clothing too...

"Anything for you, darling." Magnus said, kissing Alec's cheek before prancing off to their bedroom.

Alec looked over at Max, who was grinning widely, like he always did.

"The things I do for you," He said. Max's expression didn't change, and Alec wasn't sure if he understood what a birthday even was.

"And for my dignity." Alec added to himself, picking his own sweater up from the back of their crimson velvet couch.

It was a faded charcoal, soft and warm, and Magnus had brought it for him a few birthdays ago. By now, the hem had begun to fray and the sleeves had holes big enough for him to slip his thumbs into, but it was also comfortable and it smelt like home, like sandalwood and Magnus and the almost burning smell of faded magic. It was his favourite, had been from the moment he'd unwrapped it, torn away the blue tissue paper and hugged the garment to his chest. Magnus had laughed at him, fondly as always, and Alec had simply hid his grin in the cotton threads.

Max watched, not giggling or crying, just watching with the kind of intense curiosity that's only possible with toddlers and young children. And, occasionally, Jace.

"Do you think this is a bad idea?" He asked Max, obviously not expecting an answer, just thinking out loud.

"I mean, it's all right for you, you're just a baby, everyone will love you. But the rest of us, we're not normal Max. Not in the sense that mundanes are ... and you know you're papa, what he's like. I love him, truly, but he can be a little impulsive at times."

Alec laughed, as he imagined Magnus oh-so-sneakily turning a flampingo purple or a tiger green. It was highly unlikey that he would, but the thought was amusing nonetheless.

"I feel boring."

Alec turned to the doorway, where Magnus had paused, tugging on the hem of his purple button-down. He wore a black shirt beneath it, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and there was a dark grey blazer folded over his left arm. His jeans were a dark denim, snug but not painted on, and there was only a small line of black around his eyes.

No glitter, no extravagant make-up or flashy belts. Even his hair was down, almost brushing against his shoulders - no gel, just soft black hair that Alec yearned to run his fingers through. He was pouting too, his lips covered in a light gloss, but Alec knew that he wouldn't have done it if he wasn't even slightly okay with the outfit.

"I think you look gorgeous." Alec commented, rolling up his own sleeves as Magnus stepped closer. Max was pre-occupied tapping on the tray of his high-chair, an out-of-time and varied paced beat.

"I always look _gorgeous_. But this is like - watered-down me." Magnus complained, tugging his blazer on, shifting his shoulders to fix it into place.

"I like this look on you," Alec said, tugging on a strand of hair, soft and smooth between the calloused pads of his fingers. Magnus' head titled slightly, and Alec moved his hand so it cupped Magnus' neck.

"It's a lot ... calmer."

"I repeat." Magnus said, dancing his fingers along the waist of Alec's jeans. "Boring."

Alec shook his head fondly, and leaned into to steal a quick kiss. Magnus' gloss smelt like strawberries, but it wasn't sticky and it didn't taste like plastic, so Alec was pretty okay with it. Magnus had done as he'd asked, and he'd toned down his outfit a little, and Alec knew that it wasn't something Magnus would do for just anyone. The fact that he'd done it at all, albeit grudgingly, was something that meant a lot to Alec. He kissed Magnus, softly, to express his gratitude, his understanding.

"If we don't leave soon we'll be late." Alec said, stepping back reluctantly. Magnus nodded, his hand falling away as Alec walked over to where Max was still amusing himself with the tray of his highchair.

"Come on, buddy." Alec said, picking Max up and shifting him comfortably into his arms. Magnus was next to him, suddenly, a purple fluffy rabbit with one ear in his hands.

He gave the toy to Max, eliciting a smile so wide it should have hurt his little cheeks. Magnus had a moment where he wondered how anyone could abandon such a delightful little child because of something as trivial as a skin colour, a minute difference that didn't affect the ray of sunshine that was his personality.

He dismissed the thought as soon as it came, though - it was Max's birthday, it had been a year since they'd adopted their son and Magnus had never once wanted to change the decision they'd made. It still hurt sometimes, to think about how different Max's life could have been if he hadn't of been dropped at the Academy, or even if Magnus and Alec hadn't taken him in as their own. Magnus knew what it was like to have your heart broken by your parents, and his biological father was the most despicable thing he'd ever had the misfortune to know.

It wasn't fair. _Life_ wasn't fair, and Magnus knew that - it wasn't fair to Downworlders like him and Max, to Shadowhunters or even mundanes either. Life was a force of vengeance and fury, occasionally throwing in excitement or joy, just to keep things interesting. But even though Magnus knew that stressing over such matters he had no control over was pointless, acknowledging this fact and actually doing something about it were two completely different things, something he knew better than most people.

He wanted to give Max the best birthday possible, the best life, and he was worried he wouldn't be able to. Because although Magnus would never abandon a baby in the hands of strangers, he also didn't exactly have a clean past, and at times he struggled to remind himself that he was more than just a product of evil, that he was loved, that he was _worth_ love.

"Are you ready to go?" Alec asked, drawing Magnus from his thoughts with a gentle hand on his upper arm. Although the words were quite simple and carefree, Magnus could tell that Alec knew something was worrying him, and under other circumstances he'd allow him to draw it all out.

But they had a zoo to get to, a birthday to celebrate and family to spend the day with. Depressing yet heartwarming conversations could be shared as pillow talk once the sun was down and Max was asleep. Now was not the time.

"Absolutely." Magnus said, a smile sliding into place, only partially a mask. There was a second, where Alec looked as though he didn't believe Magnus one bit, but Magnus' smile settled into place, a little more real, and Alec nodded, accepting it, for now.

They were meeting the others at the zoo, which was thankfully not that far, so after applying a particular glamour on Max, to save him from being stared at by ignorant mundanes, and a very careful one on Magnus' eyes, the trio set a leisurely walking pace.

Alec's hand slid into Magnus', and he squeezed it gently, making sure that Magnus knew he was there in case he wanted to talk about whatever was bothering him. Magnus squeezed back, and then he leaned down to brush his hand over Max's head. Max appeared enthralled by the sky, reaching his little hands up, as though he could stretch them far enough to pull the clouds down to earth.

As strange as it was wearing a glamour, Magnus was glad they could walk the streets without being stared at, and without scarring any mundanes. They could be very small-minded, choosing to believe only in the things they had explanation for, and dismissing anything they didn't. Of course, this also meant that seeing a completely blue child would startle even the toughest of humans.

"I've never been to a zoo before." Alec commented. He tilted Max's pram back slightly, and then gently back down again. Max giggled in delight, waving his hands around in random movements.

"Never?" Magnus asked.

When he thought about it, it made a little sense - Alec had been shut away from a lot of things, trapped in books and lessons and demon hunting most of his life. (Introducing Alec to movies had been a memorable experience, for both the good and the bad parts.) But, still, it was the zoo. How could he have never been to the zoo?

"Nope. I've always wanted to, I mean, it's a giant area full of animals that are safe to look at. But I never did."

"So many firsts." Magnus said, under his breath, and Alec cracked a smile.

They lapsed into silence, the quiet only broken by Max's occasional giggles and the collective chatter of passing people.

It was nice, and it was peaceful, and Magnus liked it. It was domestic, and it gave him a sense of belonging that for so long he hadn't had. Because he'd found his home with Alec and Max, and it almost made all the long years of heartache worth it.

"Should we be worried?" Alec murmured, reaching down to smooth his hand over Max's head.

"About Max? No, I don't think so. He might get a little over-excited, but surely not _dangerously_ so." Magnus answered.

Alec laughed gently, and shook his head. "I didn't mean about Max. I meant about _Jace._ "

Magnus was prepared to dismiss Alec's concerns, before the question actually settled in, and he had to take a moment to reconsider.

"Actually, that might ... we should keep any eye on him, just in case. If you've never been to the zoo before, one can only imagine how Jace will act."

Alec laughed, and nodded. "It's not fair to expect Clary to keep a tight leash on him all by herself."

Magnus grinned at the mental image, of Clary trying to physically hold Jace back.

"More to the point," Magnus reminded Alec. "He is _your parabatai_. He's your responsibility as much as he is hers. More so, I'd say."

Alec groaned. "Max is easier to look after than Jace."

That, was something Magnus could agree with.

* * *

 

As it turned out, Jace did know how to behave around mundanes, without eyeing them suspiciously or, worse, stalking them.

The fact that Clary ordered him to leave his weapons behind, probably helped. That, and Alec's not-so-subtle threat about Magnus turning his hair purple. Not because they didn't trust Jace ... but more because, they didn't trust Jace _around_ mundanes.

After all, he and Simon didn't exactly start out as the best of friends.

Everything was going well, much better than Alec had been hoping for. Max, despite practically bursting with excitement, didn't try and sneak into any of the enclosures, or run away from his parents. The monkeys interested him the most - when no one was paying attention, Magnus clicked his fingers and created monkey ears onto Jace's head, only long enough for Max to notice before he got rid of them again.

Alec personally liked the red panda's, for no other reason than that he found them really adorable and a little cheeky. Magnus adored the more feline crew, lions and lionesses, panthers and tigers enticing him the most. He couldn't get over the fluid yet deadly grace with which they moved - he was aware that Shadowhunters, his in particular, moved in much the same way - and the fantastic glint in their eyes that indicated they knew exactly how wild and dangerous they were, even being kept behind protective bars.

He admired that.

Clary was positively enamoured with the meerkats, their big brown eyes that sparkled with adorable mischief, their little heads that seemed to catch everything. Their little hands, and tiny claws that would probably do a lot of damage and contradict their cute appearances.

Jace, to everyone's surprise but his own, became very reluctant to leave the zebra's.

"But they're so cute! And the stripes - are they black-on-white, or white-on-black, who knows?" He exclaimed when Alec questioned him.

Alec simply shook his head in fond exasperation, and settled Max back down into his pram. They were about to head off to the gift-shop, and then they were going to dinner at a family restaurant down the road.

If they could drag Jace away, that is.

"Jace, come on. The zebra's are still going to be here, you can come back another time." Clary reminded Jace.

Jace pouted, and Alec grinned as Magnus groaned behind him. They were all a little hungry, but Magnus had skipped breakfast, and even despite having lunch, he was feeling hunger stronger than the rest of them.

Which, considering he was in the company of Shadowhunters, and a growing toddler, was quite a statement.

"But what if they've moved by the time I come back?" Jace protested.

Alec rolled his eyes. "You can come back tomorrow, you know?"

Jace blinked, as though the realisation hadn't sunk in before. His cocky grin returned in seconds, and he slid his arm around Clary's petite waist.

"What are we waiting for then?" He asked, and if children weren't around, Alec would have replied with some particular choice words.

As it was, he managed to keep them to himself. Although, it did take a fair amount of self-control, and the experience of previous incidents. And, Magnus' firm hand on his shoulder.

They'd really known each other for far too long.

Clary rolled her eyes at Alec, behind Jace's head where he couldn't see. Alec laughed softly, and checked that Max was strapped into his seat properly. The last thing they wanted was to have him tumbling out. When he glanced at Magnus, a silent question in his eyes, Magnus nodded.

"We're here to keep Max happy, not turn him blue." Magnus joked, and Alec scoffed in response.

There were a few things he had expected to happen when they adopted Max and became parents. But lame jokes were not something he'd ever thought he'd hear from _Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn._

Then again, Magnus had always had a way of surprising him, in some way or another.

"We should buy Max something at the gift shop, a little plush toy or something." Magnus suggested, as they walked.

"I know he doesn't really understand birthdays, and he's already been given presents, but..."

Alec looked over, which he really shouldn't have, because Magnus was staring at him with an intense gaze, and he'd never been able to escape from the hold Magnus' eyes secured over him before, it was unlikely he would now.

"But, it's his birthday, and you think it would be cute, and he's our child so we have the right to spoil him as much as we want to." Alec finished the sentence for him.

He couldn't really argue, having thoughts of a similair nature himself, and the smile Magnus wore would have broken him down within seconds anyway.

"Parenthood does funny things to people, doesn't it?" Magnus asked. Neither noticed their pace slow, until they were a few steps behind Clary and Jace, just out of earshot.

"No." Alec replied, smiling softly. "But love does."

A familair look came across Magnus' eyes, soft and adoring and one Alec had seen many times, yet that never failed to spark a fire in the depths of his chest.

"That it does." Magnus agreed, his eyes flicking from Alec to Max.

The small lines that sometimes appeared around his eyes faded away, and he looked at once very mature and very young, his eyes usually shadowed, wisened by far too many years of life and too much heartache, bright and full of unadultered happiness. It was possibly Alec's favourite side of him, where the darkness couldn't reach him, and instead he was simply basking in the good things of his life.

Alec wondered if it showed as much with him, as with Magnus, who was far more expressive than Alec.

"It's like having a more irritating, older child that just doesn't listen." Magnus commented, as Jace dragged Clary into the gift shop.

Alec laughed, not just because Magnus was right, but because he'd never really seen Jace quite so happy - in a childish way - before. He remembered, of course, all the dark moments Jace had been through, remembered the shattering pain that had bled into his own veins, the tug on their _parabatai_ bond when he'd thought Jace had died.

The gut-wrenching heartbreak when Jace had thought that Clary, the first person he had ever begun to fall in love with, was his sister, his blood. Thankfully, he was a lot happier these days, but there was no better reassurance than seeing Jace's genuine, happy, shining-like-the-sun-smile.

"As long as he isn't hurting anyone." Alec said. Magnus' eyes widened sharply for a moment, the golden gleam of his eyes encompassing, before they returned to normal.

By the time they'd entered the store, Jace had already made it to the further side of the store. Clary was a little closer, presumably having either been abandoned by Jace in his haste for whatever he was looking for, or had simply let him go ahead because it was easier.

Alec's pretty sure he knew the answer.

"Oh, Alexander, you must look at this, it's simply perfect."

Alec turned around, unsure of how Magnus had slipped from his side so quickly.

"Don't you just love it?" Magnus asked.

"Not really."

It was a hat, dark grey and smoky white, small pointed ears poking out the top, leading down into pockets like paws. Supposed to appear like a wolf, Alec suspected, which was probably more amusing for the mundanes then for those who were aware that such animals, or variations of them, did actually exist.

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Come on, Alec. What if I said it wasn't for Max?"

All the humour in Alec's eyes dropped away. "No."

"Please," Magnus whined, taking slow, deliberate steps forward, and Alec groaned.

"No, Magnus. And don't try and con me into wearing it, it won't work."

Magnus smirked defiantly. In a move that was surprisingly fast enough for even Alec, a Shadowhunter, to miss, Magnus swooped forward and lifted the hat onto Alec's head. He tugged it down slowly, watching with intense amusment as Alec tried to glare at him.

It lasted about two-point-five seconds, before Alec's resolve was breaking and he sighed, quite obviously giving in. No point fighting something he wasn't going to end up winning.

"You look positively adorable," Magnus said smugly. Alec groaned, blinking slowly to irritate Magnus as much as possible.

Which only ended up being irritating for himself, because Magnus wasn't bothered by it, not one bit.

"Hmm, yep. I'm buying it. Whether you like it or not."

"I hate it." Alec muttered.

Magnus just grinned and swooped it off Alec's head, to ensure that he would be able to buy it without Alec shoving it behind a rack or in somebody else's basket or something. It was Alec, anything could happen if he was determined enough.

"Now, that's your problem, not mine."

"I'll make it your problem." Alec whispered underneath his breath.

Magnus grinned, and sauntered around the shop, searching for more objects or garments that caught his interest. He wasn't worried about Alec's threat, knowing it held no weight, and would likely be forgotten in a matter of hours anyway.

Alec gripped the handles of Max's pram tight enough to be considered a firm grip but not quite enough for his knuckles to turn white.

"You better not turn out as annoying as him." Alec whispered to Max. "I don't need three occasional irritations in my life. Your papa and Uncle Jace are enough of a bother."

Max smiled, but didn't clap like he had earlier, because the fun of the day was beginning to drain him, and besides that, he was at least an hour late for his nap. He yawned, his little hands bunched into tight fists of tiny blue fingers, and Alec soon followed with a yawn of his own.

"See, do you see how tired I am, Max?" Alec asked rhetorically.

He glanced around the store, where Clary was flicking through bookmarks with photos of animals printed on them, subtly staying away from Jace, who was currently switching between trying on hats like the one that Magnus had forced on Alec, and shaking various globes full of glitter and scenes of enclosures inside the zoo.

"Just keep the weapons away from children." Magnus muttered into Alec's ear.

He turned, to see the warlock grinning at him with a devilish glint in his eyes.

"You have that look on your face," Magnus explained. "The one that's pretty much a tell-tale hint that you're about to whip out a seraph blade and stab something to release your frustration."

"I'm not going to pull out a weapon in front of mundies." Alec replied. "Max and I are just both ready for a nap, that's all."

"Well, I'm sure we can organise some, time to ourselves a little later on." Magnus murmured.

Alec raised his eyebrows. "Magnus..."

"I'm going to go convince Clary, to drag Jace away from whatever miscellaneous crap he's found so that we can go to the restaurant, and therefore get home sooner." Magnus said, walking away from Alec with nothing more than a sly wink.

"I never learn." Alec mumured to himself.

He wheeled Max up to the register, smiling at the teenage girl with auburn braids and a bright grin. He picked out a keyring with a plush panda head strung on it for Simon, and a silver bracelet with various animal pendants on it for Isabelle.

Simon had to visit the Clave for some meeting, the details of which the Clave hadn't extended to anyone, and Isabelle had gone with him for support. They were coming over the next day to celebrate Max's birthday with a late lunch/afternoon tea, to make up for the fact that they weren't able to also visit the zoo.

"Your son is really cute." The girl said, cheerfully.

"Thank you." Alec replied, smiling shakily. He wasn't sure how to respond to such a compliment, considering it wasn't really directed towards him.

"We're very lucky to have him." Magnus said, sidling up next to Alec smoothly.

The girl nodded, her smile still as wide as before, and began scanning the items. Clary and Jace soon walked over, Clary with maybe four or five gifts in her hands, Jace with at least seven. Including a ridiculous hat with elephant ears sticking out of the top. And already on his head.

"I can't believe I'm going to be related to you one day." Magnus said under his breath.

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't." Alec added.

Jace brushed off their comments without much of a care in the world. Clary herself simply rolled her eyes and handed the objects in her hand over. Only once every other item was scanned, did Jace take the hat off, and only long enough for the employee to scan it before it was being shoved back over his golden locks.

Clary paid, as Magnus had promised to pay for dinner, and Alec handed the pram over to Magnus, so that he could tug Jace out of the store before anything else could catch his eye.

Alec wasn't stupid enough to admit it aloud, but Jace's dumb hat became less and less annoying as the minutes passed. It hadn't been long enough for it to be endearing, but it wasn't entirely irritating anymore either.

Besides, Max was happy, albeit tired, and they'd all had a fun time. And, as far as birthday's go, it could have been a lot worse. No one had gotten hurt, nothing had been burnt, and they'd enjoyed a nice day out.

Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing, to suggest another such outing for the near future. After all, Max himself was a naturally happy child, but even he'd seemed to enjoy the day more than anyone had been expecting. Which is all Alec had been hoping for.

The happiness of the ones he loved was probably the only thing he'd ever really hoped for.

**Author's Note:**

> i just love them all so much
> 
> Any and all mistakes are mine - I did edit this, but I am also only human (unfortunately)
> 
> P.S Enjoyed this? Interested in Alec/Jace platonic brotp business? 
> 
> Look out for a brand new two-part series on here, focusing on Jace and Alec with reference to the books, the first part of which is to be posted on the 23-25th March. 
> 
> Here's a sneak peak from the first part: 
> 
>  
> 
> _"Everyone knew from the first moment the boys met that they were the last pieces to each other's puzzle, the one person who would always be there for them when they needed it most..." ___
> 
> [My Tumblr!](http://www.tumblr.com/killjoyrow)


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